Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread
by Paradigm of Writing
Summary: They were meant to be together, they just didn't know it yet. Set of 10 drabbles focusing on Katniss x Peeta.
1. Chapter 1: Fire and Ice

**Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with a brand new story called Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread. It is similar to a story with Peeta x Finnick that I took down because I didn't like it and all that jazz, but now I have something new for the archive while waiting for Death Under the Sky this October. I did a series of drabbles for my other main fandom Super Smash Bros and thought I'd hop down over here to one for Katniss and Peeta, so here we go with drabble #1: Fire and Ice, which will be mostly AU's, but some will be interspersed with canon.**

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"Dinner is almost ready," Peeta looked behind his shoulder and called. "It's your favorite Katniss!"

"Give me a minute Peeta, my goodness. You act as if our food is going to permafrost the moment you set it down on the table. Besides, don't you want me to look nice for you during dinner?" Katniss's voice replied back, a sharp accent on the word nice.

Peeta raised his eyebrows, a small smile tugging at his lips. He shifted the pan off the burner, the whole way over to the counter sprinkling salt. Salt, next to icing was one of his favorite toppings to food. He'd rather die from a sodium overdose than be shot. He didn't want to admit it, but salt was the third most important item on his list of importance. Katniss, of course was first, his children second, and salt came ringing at third.

"Please warn me if I have to get the shades." Peeta joked.

"I don't know... tell me what you think." Katniss's voice had a playful tone as she went sliding across the tile floor of their kitchen. She meant to slide over gracefully and act like an ice skater, but instead harshly rebounded against the cabinet, the metal digging into her side. She skidded to the floor, one heel stuck on her foot, the other landing on her head. Her dress was indeed beautiful, a skimpy, tangy cardinal dress down to her ankles with matching heels to boot. Had she not slipped and fallen, Katniss's entrance would've won a Tony Award.

Peeta was so shocked that he dropped the pan, burning his hand. Two delicious steaks went flying, and Peeta watched, his eyes filled with horror. His life flashed between them in short sequences as steak sauce and juices went splattering all over the stove, microwave, floor, Katniss, and himself. He wasn't worried about the new decorative color scheme to his kitchen. He was more worried about his wife who just completely face planted into the tile.

"Are you alright Katniss?" he asked her, helping her up.

She spit a granule of salt out her mouth, the pallid speck landing right between Peeta's eyes. After all, he did love salt. "I think so. Bruised my knee real bad." She looked down at her knee with concern, and to her surprise, small droplets of crimson were dotting the floor around her.

"You're bleeding! That's not good," Peeta exclaimed. "Let me get some ice and a bandage."

As he rushed past her, she caught his arm. "Peeta, your hand!"

He looked down to gaze at his hand, which was swelling and turning rosier by the second. It hurt to even slightly move it, and rummaging through a cabinet for medicine supplies wasn't going to be the best thing. "I'll take care of it."

He stepped forward, not realizing that one of his boots was attached to Katniss's dress and the two went tumbling down on each other. Katniss's head bounced off of Peeta's chest, his head crashed against the floor. She looked up and kissed him once. "So it turns out I need the ice, and you need the fire."

Peeta couldn't help, but grin. "I suppose so. Nice to see the roles reversed, huh?"

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 **There we go! I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 1- Fire and Ice. I'll be doing around fifteen of these, hoping for three a week if plausible. I'll try to have my second drabble posted tomorrow, lovely #2: Banking Trouble. Some of these will be in canon, most will be AU. Thanks for reading guys, and please review! It means so much to me, and if you want, suggest a small topic for me to write about in an upcoming chapter. I'll be seeing you all tomorrow. Love you all!**

 **~ Paradigm**


	2. Chapter 2: Banking Trouble

**Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with drabble #2: Banking Trouble for Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread. The first one was a little zany on Peeta cooking dinner and injuring himself. Lovely. Oh, and Katniss failed at being a supermodel so it all works out. In this little drabble here, we have Katniss the bank teller being annoyed by a certain blue eyed blond. Hmm... let's see. Enjoy!**

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"Katniss, that gentleman is back again," her best friend Madge Undersee warned, looking from under the perch of her glasses while filing away a check into the filing cabinet behind her. She paused, squinting at the camera. "Yep, that's Mr. Mellark. Hold yourself together girlie, he's heading straight for your counter. Probably just wants to flirt with you again. No wait, scratch that. He actually has his wallet with him!"

Katniss sighed, straightening her braid. "I'll give him a smile that'll weaken any man," she said, a snarky growl tearing through the word weaken. She eyed him coming around the corner. " _There's my blue eyed nuisance. Right where I want him_."

Standing before her booth was Peeta Mellark, the egotistical, diamond eyed artist from across the street. One day, he bravely walked up to Katniss while she was on her way to work and offered to take her picture so he could keep it for safe keeping. He wanted to make a picture out of it, scope living life into a drawing that seemed 3D and wholly real. She didn't take it lightly, and rather assumed she was being stalked. After four straight weeks of him showing up in front of her teller booth, she realized that maybe it was best to just play along.

"Good morning Miss Everdeen, I hope that these long tiring hours aren't doing anything harmful to your sleeping routines." Peeta cooed, sliding up to the booth. He was smacking gum, a trait he found out that annoyed her in guys. Apparently chewing gum in front of a lady meant you had guts and wanted to show the world how much of a jerk you were. However, unlike Katniss thought, he wasn't a jerk... rather the opposite.

Katniss rolled her eyes and firmed a smile that seemed rather too forceful. "Hello again Peeta. I must be terribly sad to disconfirm your said concern on my sleep deprivation. It pangs my heart to know I've been misleading you," she said, her voice full of fakery. " _Actually, I hope it breaks your heart and stops you from coming to see me. I have half the mind to call the cops."_

Peeta just smiled and smiled, causing part of Katniss to want to wave her hand in front of his face to see if he'd break his concentration. She filed deep in her mind that she also wanted to see if he was a mannequin because no one sane would ever act that creepy, at least not to her. "Darling, you're madly in love with me. You're just to stubborn to admit it."

Katniss scoffed. "You're mad!"

Madge, from the back piped up. "Actually... he's not wrong Katniss. You are kind of stubborn on many things. Including love!"

"Oh, stay out of it will you?"

"I'm trying to help!"

"Out!" Katniss demanded, snapping around to face her coworker.

"Jeez, I'm only trying to help. I don't want you ending up like my grandmother who lives with eighteen cats." Madge lifted her hands up in surrender, slowly tiptoeing out of the room. Secretly, she was just going to get her camera and film the whole ordeal, or schism, or altercation, or whatever the hell it was to her. Katniss brought her attention to Peeta, who was currently staring down a little too far for comfort.

She cleared her throat. "Excuse me! That's extremely unprofessional!"

Peeta snickered. "Actually, it's not my fault you wore the low cutting dress to a _banking_ job Miss Everdeen, now is it?"

"Must I call security?"

"No, none of that," Peeta said quickly. "I was just wanting to take you out for lunch. There's quite the expensive restaurant about five miles from here where we can eat over the water."

"Expensive?" Katniss repeated, scowling.

"I'll pay." Peeta whispered dreamily, brushing his hand over hers.

Katniss shuddered. "That does sound quite nice."

"Great! I'll go and pull my car over!" Peeta cheered, running from the booth.

"Wait, I didn't say I'd go-" Katniss cried out, but he was already around the corner. She banged her head against the counter attached to the booth. "Kill me banking gods. Drown me in a pile of tax returns. Anything, but lunch with Artist Supreme!"

Seeing she had no option other than to stop Peeta from announcing some hidden wedding to the whole world, she ran out of the teller booth. And because she was mindful, she lifted her dress up a little higher.

But, it wasn't because Peeta told her.

Oh no. None of that.

Okay.

Maybe a little.

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 **Hmm... what did you guys think? Did you all like it? I'll be probably updating sometime this weekend with Chapter 3- Ivy Windows. Thanks for reading guys, please review! Maybe I'll do a continuation of a few of these in future chapters, like Part II etc... Love you all!**

 **~ Paradigm**


	3. Chapter 3: Ivy Windows

**Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with drabble #3: Ivy Windows for Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread. This idea is really short, so don't expect it to be longer than 700 words. Also, there is no dialogue in this one. It's hard to write a story without it in my opinion, but I try small in these drabbles to at least have some practice. Enjoy!**

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The first time he remembered seeing her was when he was eight. She had the prettiest, slender auburn hair he had ever seen. A long time later, Peeta Mellark soon found out that Katniss Everdeen's hair was actually a warm and engrossing chocolate that smelled of pine trees and honey scented dew drops. She was tender to the touch, always pulsing out a cold aura. The first time they slept together, he remembered that she almost broke his right foot with her heel. He apologized of course, although she was the one who almost took out his entire right foot. It was what a gentleman who was supposed to do.

That was the time he found out she liked windows that were laced with ivy. Something about the glowing green plant reminded her of home, memories scattered by the wind that she wished she never experienced. The second time they had sex, he learned that her home had been bombed six years earlier, killing her mother, sister, and her old boyfriend. His memory pained her the most, as if her heart was being pounded in by a mallet.

That night, she disappeared. He knew it was going to happen, sooner or later the girl didn't care anymore and got up in a stint. It had been six years since that day. Peeta could remember every detail down to how many hairs were on his chin when he woke up for work, it was such a perfect day. He would call her cell every night, hoping and pleading that she'd pick up. The answer was the same every time. Voicemail. Voicemail. Voicemail. He left the same message over and over again. Screaming her name, begging for her to return to him. His throat burned with the consonants of her name, the memory of rough, scalded hands punching him in the gut because he had danced with her at an exquisite party, only because Katniss's boss hadn't appreciated that very much. It pained him that he lost her, how he let someone so precious leave his grasp after he swore to keep her safe.

One day he found her new address, halfway across the world in New Zealand. He mailed her a piece of ivy that had grown on the fire escape of his apartment. He didn't anticipate his return gift. Her, at his front door step at one in the morning on Thanksgiving. She was clutching his ivy, the gift he had sent. He was crying, and Katniss had asked him if he didn't like what he got in return. His answer was his mouth on her lips.

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 **I hope you all enjoyed this, I know I did! I love you all, thanks for reading. Please review! I'll have the next chapter, #4: Nights That Tear up by Tuesday. Love you all again! Thanks!**

 **~ Paradigm of Writing**


	4. Chapter 4: Nights That Tear

**Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with drabble #4: Nights That Tear for Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread. I want to thank you all for reading, it really means a lot to me. This is a simple idea of Peeta thinking about Katniss while he lies in the mud waiting for her to find him during the first set of games. Many people do the games through his point of view, and I'm just going to do this sweet little part of their blooming relationship. Enjoy!**

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Darkness. All he could see was darkness; it consumed him till he saw nothing but black. The fiery pain in his leg wasn't helping the situation. He had no idea if she survived the Tracker Jackers, for they killed two Careers. Likely, she could've died as well. However, the last he saw of her, she was standing somewhat upright with Glimmer's bow and quiver held in her hand and slung over her back. That means the last she's seen of him was Cato bearing down on them, then a resulting fight that left both injured, Peeta worse for wear.

" _If only there'd be a way to signal her. To tell her I am alive... if only,_ " he thought angrily, stumbling through the forest. He heard the roar of a river, and he felt the chilling breezes scale goose bumps along his arms. His prickly white hairs stood on end when his legs submerged themselves in a pool of water he couldn't see. He winced, the open cut on his leg reacting to the chilled liquid. " _I've got to do something about this cut. I cannot live through these games like this. Maybe I won't even see the end of them to begin with_."

He lowered himself into the water, a booming cannon causing him to jump around wildly. He flailed about, making sure his feet resided at the banks, the coarse feeling of sand easing his nerves. His mind raced, who the death could've been? It could've been anyone. " _Who could that have been_?" Peeta pondered to himself, looking at the surrounding forest around him. He considered the options available to him on who just died.

" _It may have been Katniss, or Rue for they helped each other with the Tracker Jackers. Cato might've snapped and killed the District 3 guy. Someone stepped on one of his mines... or they caught the red-headed thief from five. The crippled guy fell down and got attacked... the Careers turned against each other. Thresh came out of nowhere and broke someone's skull... there are so many damn possibilities!"_

His nervousness was appeased later that day when the face of the District 10 Male flashed across the sky and disappeared with a flicker. Peeta had to give the guy credit for lasting that long, being handicapped and all. The next day was a complete train ride for him. He saw the smoke trail into the sky, the site in a comparable distance to the cornucopia. He heard the racketing booms of mines going off, an ear-shattering explosion followed by a riveting howl from a Career he knew all to well. The face of the District 3 Male appeared grim in the smoky air.

Two cannons disrupted his sleeping, the jolt causing the bird near him to screech and peck at his head. Two quick booms, one following the other. His heartbeat didn't rest till he saw Marvel and Rue's faces vanish into the clouds. His heart pained for Katniss, her only ally dead presumably from the Career's spear. That was when the rule change come on later the next day.

He stilled in the collection of his paints quietly, hoping to not move and crack the artwork his camouflage created. Claudius Templesmith's voice bellowed from the arena speakers, a new fire lighting inside his vitals. "There can be two victors if both tributes are from the same district..." the announcer said, before dissipating. He closed his eyes, smiling to himself.

"She's coming for me." he whispered to himself.

Before slept overtook him, he could swear he heard Katniss scream his name, in a desperate yell. He smirked. " _My darling is coming. We can actually go home now. Even though this night has tore at my heart rather forcefully, she'll be the medicine to mend me back together._ "

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 **I hope you all enjoyed this little drabble. The next one will be quite the basket case, #5: Rich and Powerful. Whatever the case may be, I'm excited for it. I don't know when it'll come out, but whenever it'll be, I appreciate you all for reading them. Love you all! Please review, it means the world to me. Thanks again. See you soon!**

 **~ Paradigm**


	5. Chapter 5: A Loud Roar and Yell

**Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with drabble #5: A Loud Roar and Yell in the drabble set, Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread! This drabble of sorts is not titled Roar and Yell because they're screaming at each other. It's a philosophical meaning to it, that your heart roars, your brain yells. These two things will come in handy with this miniature chapter.**

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"You've been looking at your watch all afternoon. Don't worry Peeta, she'll come." Katniss comforted, rubbing her best friend's back, trying to ease away his anxiety.

Peeta twisted his shirt nervously, beads of sweat trickling down his cheeks. "It's my first time on a date with anyone other than my siblings. And even then I never called it dating. Besides, how do I know she'll even like me? Everyone says Madge Undersee is a hard to get girl and that she likes very complicated guys. I am not complicated at all."

The brown haired teen rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't change the way you are to appease someone else. That's wrong."

Luigi frowned. "It is?"

"Of course it is. Just because you want someone to like you does not entail the fact that you have to change everything that makes you unique. Even though Gale Hawthorne hates skateboarding, if I ever was to develop a crush on him, I wouldn't give up skateboarding all because he didn't like it. That would be me saying I'd take away your cooking skills because in the relationship, the girl would want to do al the cooking."

"I've never really thought of it like that."

"Of course you haven't," Katniss chuckled. "You've never been committed before. It'll take time."

"I'm not even nervous about the date," Peeta admitted. "I'm nervous about whether or not she'll want to do _intimate_ contact with me or not."

"You, mean... like hugging or kissing?"

"Yep. Said right out of the mouth of babes."

"You've never hugged or kissed a person in your life?" Katniss asked dumbfounded.

"My parents of course." Peeta blushed.

"Well, I can show you how." Katniss said quickly.

He blinked, looking at his best friend straight in the eye. "You'd... you'd do that for me?"

"Of course I would. That's what friends are for!"

Peeta nodded rather anxiously, his soft cloudy eyes twinkling with excitement. "I... I'd rather appreciate if you could show me how."

Katniss set her arms on Peeta's shoulders and drew him in closer. "Okay. I'll tell you everything you need to know."

"What's first?" he asked skittishly.

Katniss laughed. "That's the thing. There isn't really any specific way to kiss. You just act upon instinct." She leaned in and kissed him.

When the two broke apart after a rather long kissing session, the blonde, blue eyed heartthrob was grinning from ear to ear. The two just blinked at each other and broke into a fit of giggles. "Wow..." he muttered.

"Are you alright?" Katniss asked.

Peeta nodded. "I think so. Can you... can you kiss me again?"

Now it was Katniss's time to recoil in surprise. Not the question she expected to come from him. "You want me to kiss you again? Like on the lips..."

Peeta nodded again, this time feverishly. "I've never acted that romantic towards someone else before. And, to be honest... I rather liked it. Yes, Miss Everdeen ; could you kiss me again?"

Madge Undersee was extremely shocked by the time she arrived so her and Peeta could go on their date to see her future boyfriend locking lips and sharing spit with his best friend. The prissy school girl shouted indignations, curses, and foul names before swiveling on her heels and snootily stomping away. Peeta smirked, kissing Katniss again.

"Hey... why don't you be my girlfriend?"

She laughed. "If that's what you want."

Later that day, after the sun was set, Katniss taught Peeta how to roar, while he taught her how to yell.

It seemed that their relationship would last very long.

 _VERY LONG._

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 **Hope you all enjoyed this drabble! Katniss and Peeta are such a good couple, that once Katniss gets the hang of what he's doing, it all works out perfectly in the end. Next drabble is going to be called Erased. It'll be rather cute because appeasing you all doesn't take that much effort. You will probably see more of these cute AU's in the future, since I actually love them more than the typicals. And yes, I made my own word up. Please review! It'll mean so much to me to know what you thought.**

 **~ Paradigm**


	6. Chapter 6: Erased

**Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with drabble #6: Erased for Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread. So, it's been a couple of days, but I'm gonna try my best anyways! Happy Father's Day to you all, I want to wish my father and step-father and numerous grandfather's happy Father's Day and that I love them all. This one is going to be really, really short. Hope you enjoy it!**

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Katniss looked over her shoulder to make sure that Mr. Abernathy wasn't watching her. Then, taking her chances, she wadded up the paper ball and chucked it at Peeta Mellark's sunshine head of hair. Peeta froze, and turned around slowly, his eyes shooting flames from his corneas.

"What do you want now?"

Katniss smiled sweetly. "The answer to number seven."

Peeta feigned surprise. "No! I'm not giving you the answer! That's cheating!"

"Miss Everdeen, may I ask what you are talking about?" Mr. Abernathy's voice bellowed out from his desk. Katniss tossed a wry glance to her teacher and laughed skittishly. The whole class was watching her now.

"Yeah, tell them the truth." Peeta smirked.

Katniss grinned. "The truth? You really want the truth," she asked. Peeta nodded. Katniss breathed in a heavy gulp of air. "Peeta Mellark and I are officially dating!" Then she bolted from the room, only after pausing to give Peeta a kiss on the lips.

"It's about time." Mr. Abernathy chuckled.

"Dammit Katniss, you said we'd make a speech about it!" Peeta yelled.

Katniss couldn't hear him, for she was already down the hall and out the main doors of school. " _That went better than I thought_." she giggled to herself before vaulting over the fence. Picking up speed, she raced home. She just had to tell her mother, and then after that, the whole world.

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 **Eh, it's not the best I've done, but it might not be the worst so I don't know. Next beautiful drabble will be #7: Much Ado About Nothing. I'll see you all Wednesday! I love you all!**

 **~ Paradigm**


	7. Chapter 7: Much Ado About Nothing

**Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with drabble #7: Much Ado About Nothing in the drabble set, Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread. We are almost done with this story, I've got three more drabbles to go. I'll probably be doing a mass update of this story on Sunday with the three final chapters so keep your eyes appealed. Bonus cookie if you can guess where the title comes from. It's a movie, but who directed it? This drabble is being told from Peeta's point of view.**

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My girlfriend, Katniss Everdeen, beamed at me as I scooted the chair back for her so she could sit down at our dinner table. Our waiter, a skittish young lad named Rory, smiled warmly and made a little heart symbol when I sat. We must've been his favorite couple of the night. If you can't already tell, I had a special night planned for my one of a kind girl. After coming home from work, I slipped my arms around her waist and murmured to go get dressed into something flashier. She asked why, like any curious person would. Then I left it at that. I didn't tell her where we were going or the reason for doing so, but she followed as it was. The way I was dressed _must_ have been some notion to her.

"Any special reason why we're dining out at the Tavern tonight?" Rory asked, setting napkins down where our drinks would go.

I held Katniss's hand in my own, rubbing her thumb. I gave her a slight grin, one quipped eyebrow raised. Apparently that look meant I had something mischievous planned which made me laugh. Businessmen never had any schemes of the sort. "I think everyone will be surprised to find out what it is when it actually happens, my good server."

Katniss frowned. "You know I don't like surprises."

Rory replied to her statement before I had chance to respond. "No, don't let it bother you. He seems like a great guy already- I'm pretty sure it's for the best you find out after the meal and dessert. You will be getting dessert right?"

She laughed and laughed and laughed. She didn't stop. "We haven't even ordered our drinks yet!"

A light bulb went off in Rory's head, his expression priceless. He must've jumped fifty miles ahead of the game while we were just busting out of the starting line. "Oh, I completely forgot. Yes, what would you like to drink?" He flipped open his notepad, a pen on ready. He looked me at expectantly.

"I'll do a water, and a diet coke please." I said, not taking my eyes off my girlfriend.

Rory scribbled down the order. "And for you ma'am?"

Katniss blushed. "Goodness, no need for the pleasantries! I'm only twenty-five, you're making me feel very self-conscious and extremely old," she exclaimed, tapping her fingers against the table. "You know, I think I'll do a bottle of Astor wine if you have any available. How many sips can I get out of it?"

Rory took a moment to think. "Give or take about twenty-five or so. So, one sip to each year you have lived on this Earth."

I closed my menu. "That's perfect. Thanks again."

He ran off, and then came back maybe only a minute later with our drinks. He set off her glass of wine, and my glass of water next to a darkening, chilling glass of diet coke. I flipped through my menu to glance at the entrées when I came across an eye opening number. My girlfriend's glass of Astor was twenty-eight dollars. I choked a little, then grasped my straw, sipping water down my throat. Katniss looked up at me alarmed.

"Peeta, are you alright?" she asked.

"You better drink that wine. It costs about a dollar and twelve cents per sip."

You want to know what the special occasion was? I was going to ask Katniss to marry me. Now I'm thinking about backing out of that- because she spent nearly thirty dollars on a _single_ glass of liquor, and probably was going to order the most expensive meal. Dear lord in heaven, I'll be broke by the time we'd get our check.

After all, I'd never give that much ado about her. Much ado about nothing. What a good rule to live your life by.

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 **I hope this made up for my lack of updates. Sometimes I've seen bottles of wine that expensive for a glass and a person just drowns them down their throat. I gawk and gawk like a crazy person because they have no idea how much money they're spending. Next drabble is #8, Romeo and Juliet. I can't wait for that one. Thanks for reading guys! Love you all!**


	8. Chapter 8: Romeo and Juliet

**Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with drabble 8: Romeo and Juliet in Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread. The last two drabbles will be coming Sunday in one quick scoop, so don't worry if it happens to quickly. I want to say thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing, it really makes me feel happy to know people _actually_ enjoy my work for once. So thank you for that. **

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"Can I please just come in for a few minutes?" Peeta asked his best friend as she clung to the door handle.

"No," Katniss shot down the request. "I'm already two hours past my curfew! My parents would kill me just for that, let alone knowing I was out in the dark alone with a boy."

"They are that conservative?"

"Sometimes. When it comes to me, night, and guys mixed in one- yeah, they can be." she replied.

Peeta stomped his foot. "Well, good night."

Katniss kissed him atop his head before disappearing into her house. Peeta waited patiently at the door, rocking back and forth on his heels. He checked his watch, it was nearly midnight. He froze, seeing that a light appeared in an upstairs room. Looked like Katniss made it without having serious confrontation with her parents. Thinking fast, he grabbed a miniature pebble that sent dust particles to the ground in his hand and chucked it at her window. It made a clinging noise, louder than he anticipated. The window was thrown open, an angry Katniss Everdeen glaring down at him.

"What the hell are you doing, idiot?" she hissed.

Peeta smiled sheepishly. "I don't know if heard me say goodnight."

Katniss rolled her eyes. "If you think you're gonna come up here and act like Romeo, well you've got another whole thing coming.

He sighed. "I guess that means you're rejecting me."

Katniss chuckled. "Yeah, that's about right. Now go home Mellark, I don't want you catching influenza in this cold weather. Good night. I love you."

"You too." Peeta smiled, and then waited as she closed her window shut. He turned around and started walking home.

The moon shone in the sky like a delicious ball of mozzarella cheese, it's rays practically illuminating the street. Peeta brushed his maple hair out of his face before stopping. He was only about fifty yards from Katniss's front door. " _What did she just say to me?_ " he thought.

Then it hit him, quite literally as he had turned around and walked straight into a pole. While he rubbed his dazed head, he remembered. She told him he loved him.

Huh. How about that.

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 **Awwwww... short and sweet. Hope you all enjoyed it and I'll see you for #9: An Artist's Appeal, with them yet again acting as the main team of love. I love this pairing more than you think, and I'm starting to love Peeta as a character since I've written him a lot. Bye you guys! Love you all! Thanks for reading!**

 **~ Paradigm**


	9. Chapter 9: An Artist's Appeal

**Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with drabble #9: Artist's Appeal in the drabble set, Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread! So, we are now nine drabbles in it seems- which I'm terribly happy about! I don't have much experience writing these, so they'll only get better as I go on. Alas we are almost done with this set of 10, for I'm posting chapter ten shortly after this one, but no matter. I really have noticed just how often I focused on Peeta, like next chapter he is also the main focus too. Goodness, maybe it's writing bias. Anyways, enjoy!**

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Peeta Mellark was the esteemed artist of the 21st century, well at least to the downtown Miami area. Coming from a difficult background in the ghettos of Louisiana and magically being discovered by the cream of the crop painters Katniss Everdeen, well it came straight out of a fairytale. Instead of playing ball with the other school kids his age, he'd find the same material used to make the lines on a baseball field connecting the bases to draw.

You couldn't go anywhere in Baton Rouge without finding some reminisce of his artwork. He went all over. Sometimes he drew something simple, a mail box shadowed under the moon's lustrous light, or a rose about to bloom for Spring. He ventured onto more daunting tasks, like smoke rising from a pan of jambalaya and short circuiting the light above the chef's head. His favorite drawing ever was the simple drawing of the letter 'I'. Covered in a scaly, reptilian green found by mashing certain plants together, the capital letter looked like it belonged in a forest.

His first chance of striking gold with his designs was when Katniss Everdeen came down to Baton Rouge for an art expo, the stunning female artist was looking for upcoming talent as an apprentice for her gallery back in New York. After by accidently stepping on his hands as she passed by, she glanced down to see the stunning 'I' artwork. Within a few minutes, Peeta managed to receive a business card, a mention on Facebook, and fifty dollars cash in his pocket.

All night he took pictures of his work and emailed Katniss the photos. Inspired, Katniss managed to get him on a plane to New York and to feature his work in her new gallery. Then, with quite the load of cash from his work being bought by art dealers, he flew to Miami, wanting a stab at Spanish culture down in the Sunshine State. And, how he loved it.

The locals appreciated his talent, and the fact that the city received news buzz made it all worthwhile. As the years passed, he forgot about the person who put him in his spot till one fatalistic meeting at a café.

It was a beautiful summer day, and Peeta Mellark wanted to paint. He wanted to find some inspiration from the locals and see if they could help create the prettiest picture ever. Problem was, Peeta Mellark was hitting rock bottom. No one was providing him ample creativity. He personally wanted to draw a human emerging out of a mysterious fog, but he still needed the right subject.

That's when his eyes lit up, a woman passing by his table catching his eye. She wore a simple mahogany dress, the deep color of an oak tree clashing with a vibrant olive green. With golden chestnut hair spiraling down to the ground like Rapunzel's, all he had to do was see her face. The clash of color worked really well with an ambiance as it was- he just needed to see her face.

The subject turned, and Peeta's heart exploded. Two glimmering emeralds stared back at his, a lipsticked smile flashing a set of pearly white teeth. Beautiful skin, a beautiful complexion. The light rosy makeup applied to the lady's cheeks drew out the raw beauty that radiated from within her. He stood up in a flash and walked over to the person.

"Excuse me, miss, but would you mind helping me with something?"

The lady blinked. "I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

"Not that I know of," Peeta admitted. "But, you see, I'm an artist. I've been looking for inspiration on a painting all day. I haven't come up with anything substantial till I saw you."

The lady eyed the drawing on Peeta's table. "You've got quite the talent there, young man. Say, what's your name?"

"Peeta Matthews."

The lady's eyes widened, her lips parting. Little did Peeta know, the lady he was in fact talking to was Katniss Everdeen, on another excursion to find an upcoming painter for her gallery. Little did either of them know was that they'd end up married, all because Katniss would later ask Peeta why he picked her out of everyone to use for the painting. His response was his lips on hers, then the shutting of a door and the flickering of a light.

And as they say, the rest got lost in the artwork. Sometimes a painter's passion wasn't in the picture, but the person they chose to create their masterpieces.

Katniss was Peeta's masterpiece, just like how she was his.

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 **I hope you all enjoyed this drabble as well! Which has been your favorite so far? I'll probably have to say this one. Next drabble will be #10: Compromise. This one isn't going to be the greatest in terms of happy endings, as it actually doesn't have a happy ending! I love them actually, so that's why I'm picking it. Thanks again guys! Love you so much! Please review, and I'll see you shortly.**


	10. Chapter 10: Compromise

**Hey everyone, Paradigm of Writing here with drabble #10: Compromise in the drabble set, Evergreen Youth Spoiled by Bread! Now, this one-shot/drabble might have a happy ending, but the road leading to it won't be as happy as you think. This one is rather dark, a romance/tragedy. Please enjoy it if you can. Alas, this is the end of our road of Katniss x Peeta. I don't know when my next one-shot or even story featuring them will be considering how busy my schedule is till at least February 2016, so I'll try my hardest to get something there for all of the fans who love them so much, and technically as do I. I actually have a Katniss/Peeta one-shot. They didn't fall in love in that one, but it was still a campy, humorous story of trying to kick out a roommate who is ruining your life from the inside out. But anyways, that's not important. What is important is this chapter. Enjoy!**

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Peeta stabbed the chicken on his plate with his fork before looking up at his wife. Katniss Everdeen sat on the other side of the table, slowly sipping and stirring her iced tea. He narrowed his eyes, staring at his wife. She looked normal, nothing seemed erroneous. Her brown hair was still let loose down her back, the iconic hunters jacket still on her body. Her eyes lit an alluring emerald like they normally did. Then what was wrong?

He set his fork down, picked up his knife and twirled it in his hands. He stared harder at Katniss, his eyes drawing to her neck. Hidden in the crook of her neck, covered lightly by her hair and the hunting jacket dress was a hickie. A blue and purple bruise plastered right on her neck. Peeta nearly screamed. He hadn't made love to her in nearly a week. She also didn't have the blemish on her skin last night at dinner, nor this morning at breakfast.

She cheated on him during the day. He cut the piece of chicken on his plate before stuffing it in his mouth. "Katniss, darling, what's that on your neck?"

Katniss froze, the sounds of metal scraping against metal ceasing in one quick halt. "What do you mean? It's my hair."

Peeta's nostrils flared. She was lying. "Not your hair. The bruise. The bruise that wasn't there this morning. The sickening blue, purple, and black _hickie_ slapped across the mar of your neck. _That_ thing on your neck."

Katniss's eyes widened as she scooted back from the dining table. "Are you accusing me of something?"

"Perhaps," Peeta sneered. "If it's not a hickie, what is it?"

"Well, it's a bruise." Katniss stated stupidly.

He rolled his eyes. "Duh. I see that. But, how did you get it? Better yet, who gave it to you?"

"Someone you don't know."

"Who?" his voice was filled with steel venom. He was not letting her off the hook that easily.

"My boss."

"Your boss, huh? You mean, that sickening male Cato Hardy who runs the insurance firm you work at? Did he hit you?"

"Not on purpose," Katniss whispered, looking down at her plate. She picked up the piece of chicken on her plate with her knife. "The meal is wonderful."

"Thanks, but stop trying to avoid the subject," Peeta said sweetly, setting his utensils down. "How did Cato hit you in the neck?"

"He accidently slammed his fist into it."

"Sure." Peeta answered.

"It's true! I arrived for work, set my stuff down and then I went over to Cato to say hello. He turned around quickly from a call, didn't realize how close I was, and then slammed his fist into my neck." Katniss explained, still not meeting her husband's face.

"Well, tell him to be careful. What happened next?" Peeta asked, lifting his wine glass up to his lips, the tart and bitter maroon liquid vanishing into his mouth and down his throat.

"We made love against the cabinets," she said hurriedly. The wine glass in Peeta's hand shattered, crimson rivers streaming down his fingers and into a puddle onto his plate. Katniss's mouth hung open, realizing what she said. "I mean, we got ice from the freezer."

"You're office doesn't have any ice in the freezer. That's for the dump out back," Peeta hissed. "Did I hear you correctly? You and your boss had sex this morning, at your office, against a filing cabinet. Don't try and lie to me either, Katniss! That's not something that just casually slips out of a person's mouth."

Katniss looked down at her hands, wringing her napkin. "Yes. We did. Cato and I had sexual intercourse this morning. Not the first time this has happened. We did it yesterday, and the day before. You're right, that statement isn't something that normally spills out of people's mouths. Maybe you haven't noticed, but saying ' _I love you_ ' isn't that hard either."

Peeta's eyes narrowed, and he stood up. "What does that mean?"

"You haven't told me you love me." Katniss answered, straightening her back to look formidable.

Peeta thought fast, and grabbed his steak knife. He felt a lone tear slide down his face as he pointed the knife at his heart. "Well, I love you Katniss. Now, tell me you love me."

She paled. "Peeta, what are you-"

"TELL ME YOU LOVE ME! TELL ME YOU'RE MY WIFE!" he screamed.

Katniss rushed forward, grabbing her husband's wrist as the knife inched closer to his skin. "Peeta, stop!"

The couple stumbled to the ground, and Peeta yelled out in agony. When Katniss parted, her mouth dried up. Peeta was staring at his waist, blood spurting out of an incision right above his hip. "I- I got stabbed" he whispered.

Katniss placed her hands down over the wound. "Hold pressure to it. I'll call 9-1-1."

"No," Peeta insisted, grabbing his wife's wrist. "Tell me you love me. Stop lying about our love. Tell me you love me."

"I love you."

"I don't believe you," Peeta rasped, arching his back in pain. "Make me believe you."

Katniss kissed her husband, trying to ignore the cold feeling of blood sliding down her fingers. When the two broke apart, Katniss looked at Peeta's diamond eyes, a smile etched on her face. "I love you Peeta Mellark, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm glad to be married to you."

Peeta's lips parted, trying to ignore the pain. "I love you too, Katniss. I'll never leave you."

Katniss didn't believe the words coming out her mouth, but she pushed the doubting thought back into a file cabinet stored away in her mind. "I'll never leave you," she lowered her head to lay against his chest. "I'll always stay."

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 **Huh. That was longer than what I hoped for, but oh well! Stories are stories. Sorry if this seemed rushed, I just was experimenting with some ideas I had and jumbled them all together. Well, I really do hope that meant a lot to you all out there who ship Katniss and Peeta. I had done this earlier before, and then realized that I had other fandoms I could do it for as well as experimenting on how many times I could write the same pairing over and over again without getting sick of it, lol. Please review you guys, it'll make my life a lot easier knowing people _actually_ enjoy my writing for once. I'm sad letting this project go, but times are a changing, and they are changing fast. I love you all, my readers soooo much you have no idea. Thanks again you guys, and I'll see you when I FINALLY for the fourth time return to The Gamemaker's Plan Part II which must be done by October 1st so I can finally start posting Death Under the Sky. Bye everyone! See you in the near future!**

 **~ Paradigm**


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